The Forever Rose 2012 Edition
by LadyLieri
Summary: When Sarah is kidnapped back to the Underground by Jareth's brother, will she find it in herself to save the disappearing Labyrinth?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I wrote this story AGES ago, so now I'm revisiting, and rewriting to get the old writing juices flowing again for an original piece that's on my mind... It's been a good minute since I've written though, so I wanted to revamp 'TFR', and see where it can take me for my Labyrinth fix :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth, or any of its characters. The story is my own, as are the original characters (Kindari in this chapter)

-Chapter 1-

It had become commonplace for sleep to evade her, ever since she'd found her way to the Labyrinth and returned to the normal world a year ago. Then again, Sarah still found herself wondering whether or not the magical place had just been a dream, as well as it's ruler, the Goblin King.

She stared out her window, fiddling with end of the long brown braid that fell over her shoulder.

'_If it wasn't real, how can I still remember him? Every look, glance… Or Hoggle? Ludo?'_

Sarah smiled as her thoughts turned to the friends that had helped her solve the Labyrinth, and save her baby brother, Toby. They hadn't answered her since the night she came back, though she suspected that might have had something to do with Jareth. He'd been so angry with her for leaving; maybe he'd closed the way back forever. She sighed and stood, walking to her door.

'_Maybe something to drink might help.'_

A body stood in her way, and before she could speak, she was up against a wall with her mouth was covered by a gloved hand. The figure was too dark to see, but by the height it definitely had to be male. Her eyes searched his, they were so similar to his… There was a cool, quick wind around them, and when she could see again they were in the park next to her mother's grave.

"Who are you?" The man just stared at her, almost trying to size her up. Golden hair streamed out down his shoulders, and piercing green eyes leered at her. "Jare-?" The name was cut off abruptly by his hand again.

"You know, he did make you out to be much more clever than you seem to be to me. I am not the Goblin King Sarah, and you'd do well not to summon him by speaking his name."

"Well since you obviously know who I am and the name I was going to say, who are _you_?" If she had been trying to hide her irritation, it didn't show.

"Tsk Tsk, not very polite princess." He said, shaking a finger. "My name is Kindari, the Goblin King happens to be my 'flair for the dramatic' little brother."

When she looked closely, Sarah could see the resemblance. The same jaw, cheeks, eyes… Even the smirk. Yep, definitely a slightly altered Jareth. She crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Do you go around kidnapping random women during the night, or am I just lucky?" Kindari laughed.

"Oh Sarah, Sarah, Sarah… If only you knew the trouble you brought me. I'm at a cross-roads of how to deal with you. On the one hand, my brother seems quite madly infatuated with you. Your quite cold-hearted rejection seems to have put him out lately, so much so that suicide seems reasonable to our beloved Goblin King. Oh, don't look so shocked. If he hated you, quite simply put, you wouldn't be alive."

"You're telling me, that a year after he kidnaps my brother-"

"Which you asked him to do."

"Put me through the rat maze of the century-"

"You had to earn Toby back somehow."

"And almost killed me more than once, that he was 'infatuated'? Where do you people learn your social skills? That's like putting gum in a girls hair on the play ground!"

"I'm going to pretend I understand your gibberish, because I have no idea what reference you're on about. But yes, the Goblin King took a special interest in you. The neighboring kingdoms are a lot less fond of the idea of you remaining alive. When you rejected him Sarah, you brutally crippled what was left of his humanity. The Labyrinth is dying, the Golden Age of the Underground is circling the drain, and the only one that can stop that from happening completely is you."

"And I'm going to try to stop that because….?" He glared at her.

"Because you can't sleep at night. You can't stop reliving the Labyrinth, and your mind doesn't want to be in this world. You don't belong here anymore. He chose you, and the Labyrinth chose you. Not a day went by before you came to the Labyrinth that you didn't dream of adventure, of fairy tales and magic. _You don't belong here! _You care for him, or you wouldn't have sought him out in the Crystal Ball"

"He drugged me! That wasn't real! He wouldn't have danced with me, held me… That was just a dream!"

"Sarah I was there. I watched you look for him, I watched him come to you. It wasn't a dream, it was a way to get you, a mortal, to a place that mortals don't get to go without help. I'm not like him, I won't indulge your little fantasies or selfish desires. You are going to save the man that you've all but destroyed, and his kingdom, or by Oberon I will kill you myself." Kindari grabbed her arm and started dragging her away from the path and into the forest behind the lake.

"You said people are after me anyway, does it make a difference who kicks my bucket over?" She snapped.

"Because I will just kill you for destroying my brother, and they will take their due time torturing you for ending the most prosperous time in our people's history. It's not too late to right a wrong Sarah, not even for you. With you back here, he may yet see reason, and he may yet be saved."

"Back here?"

As she asked the question, the brush and trees abruptly ended, and she found herself staring at the long lost maze of her dreams and nightmares. It looked different though, almost like ancient ruins. The castle and it's goblin city were still there, but there was no green, the outer walls were reduced down to rubble. Pieces of the vast puzzle were just…gone.

'_It's dying...' _She thought, and as she did, she saw Kindari nod from the corner of her eye.

"Yes, it is. You have to help him, you're the only one who can." He said gently.

"I don't have to do anything." She snapped. "What if I make it worse? What if he ends up killing me before any of you even get the chance?" He laughed again, still staring out at the castle. Sarah looked at him. "I mean it! I mean, the guy does have a temper."

"I've seen it first hand, and I'm sure I'll see it again for bringing you back."

"What am I supposed to do exactly? I get that somehow I'm supposed to put some magical band-aid over all this mess, but how?"

"I wish I could tell you Princess, but you'll have to figure that out with time." She sighed, but he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a soft hug. "You'll know what to do, I have faith in you. I'm going to send you to the castle now, have faith in yourself, and you can fix this." He stepped away from her. "But if he does throw a crystal at you, just hold up your hand, it won't hurt you. You have more power than you know here. Just give it time."

She blinked and looked back at him, only to find herself staring at the castle door.

See you soon with Chapter 2!


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Labyrinth, or any of its characters. The story is my own, as are the original characters.

-Chapter 2-

"Yes, it is. You have to help him, you're the only one who can." He said gently.

"I don't have to do anything." She snapped. "What if I make it worse? What if he ends up killing me before any of you even get the chance?" He laughed again, still staring out at the castle. Sarah looked at him. "I mean it! I mean, the guy does have a temper."

"I've seen it first hand, and I'm sure I'll see it again for bringing you back."

"What am I supposed to do exactly? I get that somehow I'm supposed to put some magical band-aid over all this mess, but how?"

"I wish I could tell you Princess, but you'll have to figure that out with time." She sighed, but he wrapped an arm around her shoulder and gave her a soft hug. "You'll know what to do, I have faith in you. I'm going to send you to the castle now, have faith in yourself, and you can fix this." He stepped away from her. "But if he does throw a crystal at you, just hold up your hand, it won't hurt you. You have more power than you know here. Just give it time."

She blinked and looked back at him, only to find herself staring at the castle door. Brittle vines had taken over the heavy wooden door, almost blending it into the stone around it. Sarah turned around and saw the remnants of the Goblin city. Grass was waist high, and greenery had taken over the small goblin-sized structures. Many of the small towers had collapsed, and it was only because Sarah had seen them before they'd fallen that she knew what they had been. Turning back to the door, she looked it over, gliding her hands over the ivy, and the stones around the arch. She gasped as one of the smaller stones gave way, and the doors shook, then creaked as they swung open.

"So nice to see you again, Sarah." The voice that had haunted her dreams suddenly filled her ears. "To what do I owe the. pleasure?" Sarah spun on her heels only to come face to face with a pair of mismatched eyes and blond wispy hair. He stepped forward, closing the distance between them, only to grin when she stepped back, almost like a choreographed dance until she hit the wall with a thud. His gloved white hands supported him on either side of her shoulders. She'd forgotten how intimidating Jareth could be, almost like a jungle cat that could poise to strike, or choose to play with its food. Searching his eyes, she couldn't read which outcome would be the inevitable.

"I-I came here-" she stammered. He cocked his head to the side, raising a sleek eyebrow.

"Kindari brought you here Sarah, don't undermine my intelligence. What I want to know is why." His voice was sharper than she'd remembered, colder somehow. She blinked, and their surroundings changed to that of the throne room. His heels clicked on the stone floor as he stalked away from her. After staring for a moment, she realized that it had changed. The cream stone was a cleaner cut, elegant dark red pillows trimmed in gold tossed around. Where the old horned throne had sat, now sat a larger version, gleaming in polished gold.

"It's different." she said quietly. Jareth turned to her.

"Changing scenery is necessary every few hundred years."

"Is that why parts of the Labyrinth are gone?" He didn't answer, or acknowledge her question. "Alright, let's try a different topic then. Why are people trying to kill me?"

"Am I supposed to know the answer to that question, or have you gotten under someone else's skin?"

"Kindari told me something along the lines of my death might stop the 'Golden Age' from ending." Jareth stared at her, blank faced. His lack of response ignited a thought. "You had no idea, did you?"

"Have there been attempts?"

"None so far that I know of, Kindari said he got me first." She sat down on a cushion, twirling a piece of hair around her finger. "Why is the Labyrinth dying, Jareth?"

"I am a King Sarah, you'd do well to remember it." Sarah fixed her gaze on the scene carved around the domed ceiling. It was a depiction of the Labyrinth, and the many creatures that she'd met in her brief visit the prior year. She couldn't stop a smile as she saw Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didymus; even the fairies outside of the gate. "Pity."

"What is?" Sarah turned her attention back to Jareth, who was watching her intently.

"It's a pity that they lacked the one thing demanded of them, loyalty to their king. Now they're paying the price."

"You know, you don't always have to be such a villain. There's gotta be times when you feel like being the good guy." Jareth laughed, and it startled her. His laugh almost sounded... genuine.

"Oh Sarah, how naive you still are. What else has my beloved brother told you?" He said, voice dripping with disdain.

"Well it isn't like we had a heart to heart, he kind of just kidnapped me and gave me the rundown on people wanting to kill me, you being a little less inclined towards your own existence, my supposedly 'being chosen' by the Labyrinth... That would just about cover it."

"So aside from attempting not to get killed, why exactly did he bring you here?"

"If only I knew." Jareth ignored her, and began flipping a crystal back and forth over his hand. Sarah's eyes wandered back to the carving. "Where are they?"

"They?"

"Hoggle? Didymus? Ludo?"

"They're where they need to be, forgotten about for the time being." Sarah stood and crossed her arms.

"I want to see them." The crystal stopped abruptly on his fingertips, and he looked at her and smiled smugly. He tossed the crystal up, and it floated above him as he rose.

"Why is it that in the span of a year you still have not learned simple manners Sarah? Is it above you to say please?" He was standing directly in front of her, only breaths away. Sarah looked up at him, still determined.

"What do I have to do to see them?"

That's it for Chapter 2... Short and sweet. Thanks for reviewing guys, I'll try to get another chapter ready for next week, lot more meat in it. These last two were more of prelims :)


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own the Labyrinth, or any of it's characters, I only own mine and the situations I put them all in :) Enjoy your chapter!

-Chapter 3-

"If only I knew." Jareth ignored her, and began flipping a crystal back and forth over his hand. Sarah's eyes wandered back to the carving of her friends. "Where are they?"

"They?"

"Hoggle? Didymus? Ludo?"

"They're where they need to be, forgotten about for the time being." Sarah stood and crossed her arms.

"I want to see them." The crystal stopped abruptly on his fingertips, and he looked at her and smiled smugly. He tossed the crystal up, and it floated above him as he rose.

"Why is it that in the span of a year you still have not learned simple manners Sarah? Is it above you to say please?" He was standing directly in front of her, only breaths away. Sarah looked up at him, still determined.

"What do I have to do to see them?"

"There's always a price to pay isn't there, Sarah? For Hoggle's big pucker moment, there was a one way trip to the bog of eternal stench… For Ludo refusing to scare you away, a few bites by the gremlins. Granted, you interfered on both. Just can't resist playing the hero, can we?" He said, slowly circling her.

"Jareth I mean it." He raised his eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Or you'll do what, exactly?" He stopped and stared into her brown eyes. He couldn't help reveling in her wavering courage. Still, she kept eye contact.

"Please."

"That didn't sound very genuine Sarah, try again." He strode past her and fell back into his throne, watching her very much like a cat watches a mouse.

"Please tell me where my friends are."

"They're in an oubliette, serving out their sentence."

"Sentence for what?"

"For changing allegiances in the middle of the game, thus tipping the scales. One drop of water is all it takes; you happened to gain three."

"You can't punish them for helping me do the right thing, that's childish." She snapped. A genuine smile crossed his face, and to her irritation, he laughed.

"Childish? You are accusing _me_ of being… childish? Oh Sarah, poor lost little Sarah." He sat up and leaned on his knees. "Was I childish when you were seeking me out in a ballroom? Or when my arms were wrapped around you, leading you around the dance floor? Was that perchance, why you stared up with your little doe eyes in utter fascination and adoration?" Sarah's cheeks couldn't have gotten any redder if she tried. "Yet you're still a little girl, 18 years old now, and blushing like a little girl with a crush. And somehow _I_ am the childish one."

"You know what, send me home, or to an oubliette with them. Send me anywhere that doesn't have you in sight."

"Oh that I could, Sarah, then I would. However, I don't think that the Labyrinth will be so generous as to let you leave a second time. You, my dear, are here for good." She glared at him.

"Send. Me. Home."

"As you wish Sarah." He snapped his fingers, and the world turned. She was back in her room, everything exactly as it had been before Kindari had kidnapped her. Something was different though, she realized quickly that the window was gone, and she bolted to the door and opened it, and found she wasn't _exactly_ at home…

The room that hers opened up to was large and open, with warm yellow walls, and light wooden chests and dressers, with a bed in the center. A canopy fell down around the head of the bed, and a few feet ahead of the foot of it, a semi-circle of large windows opened up over a balcony overlooking a garden.

"I hadn't expected you so soon m'lady." She spun on her heel, not recognizing the male voice behind her. He was taller than her, with straight blond hair down to mid-chest. His eyes were dark, but kind, his features masculine with a strong jaw. His thin lips smiled at her.

"Who are you? Where am I?" She turned away from him to look at the room again, very confused.

"I'm Antony of the Rohri clan. You're in your rooms, here at au coeur du labyrinth."

"At what?"

"The heart of the Labyrinth."

"I didn't know there were… people here?"

"Typically, there aren't unless they're visiting. I am, as we say, a special case."

"What does that mean?" He sighed.

"It means that I owe Jareth a debt, and servitude is the payment of choice." He went to an ornately carved wardrobe and pulled out a dress. "You'll need to change, so you don't start a scandal. Women don't wear… that." He said, referring to her pink and black striped pajama pants and plain black T-shirt. She noted his tunic that fell down to his mid-thigh, and dark fitted pants underneath them. He looked like he should be tromping through the woods, not waiting on a lady. He held the dress and underdress out to her, and nodded his head towards a paneled partition for her to change behind. Curious, she took them and proceeded.

"What is it you owe him, exactly?" she asked as she changed. The white chemise slipped on and tightened on the sides with small corset eyelets, and the silver embroidered light blue dress slipped over it. Her braid had fallen out of the bun she'd pinned it in, and fell down her back.

"Let's just say he did my family a great favor once, and until I can do for him what he did for my brother, I'm in his debt."

"You don't know why I'm here do you?" she asked, hoping for a real answer.

"You're here to marry your betrothed, and become Queen of the Labyrinth again." Her eyes widened and she peeked out behind the partition, not fully dressed.

"EXCUSE ME?" Antony turned to face her, then realizing she didn't understand how to tie the dress properly, he grinned.

"Need some help m'lady?" She walked out to him grumbling under her breath. His hands tightened the ties down her sides, and tied them off.

"Now what the hell did you just say?"

"Your betrothed, King Jareth, found you again after all this time. We were afraid you'd never come back to us. It's been centuries since you passed on." Sarah took his offered arm as he led her out onto the balcony. Glowing golden lights were flitting about everywhere, she noticed they were butterflies, just… glowing butterflies.

"Safe to say, I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Don't you know who you are?"

"Obviously not." She found herself watching the butterflies flit from flower to flower, pulling out of his arm and following one. She reached out to touch one, and Anton's hand caught hers gently from behind.

"If you touch them, you'll tear their wings m'lady." He murmered in her ear. "Best to just see them for their beauty." It was then she noticed that she was feeling quite warm. Without warning, he scooped his right hand behind her head and pulled her into a gentle kiss, her left hand still in his. She was tense at first, but after a moment, she strangely felt…like she'd kissed him before. He pulled away first, looking down at her breathless. "I've missed you Aria."

Sarah pushed him away.

"Aria? My name is Sarah! What am I doing here? Who are you?"

"I'm sorry, you're not ready yet. My apologies Lady Sarah." He gathered his composure. "Jareth is waiting for you by the faerie grove. Come, I'll take you to him."

"I'm not going anywhere with you! Bring Jareth here."

"A king is not commanded Sarah, not even by his Queen."

"He's not _my_ king! I was brought here against my will in the middle of the night because Jareth's brother kidnapped me. I'm not going ANYWHERE until someone tells me what the HELL is going on. Why did you just kiss me and who is Aria?"

"You kissed me back Sarah." He said quietly.

"Answer the questions." Sarah demanded, her eyes throwing daggers at him.

"Aria was my… wife, some 800 years ago. You remind me of her, is all. I'm sorry to have offended you. Come, or Jareth will get angry." She ignored his arm this time.

"I'll follow you. Go." She said angrily.

* * *

A/N: There we go, just a little bit a hanger to keep you interested :) See you soon!


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